Optical circuits are used to interconnect optical components within electronic and other high-speed and/or high-bandwidth systems. In some applications, optical circuits are formed on a planar substrate with a plurality of optical waveguides as a flexible optical waveguide member.
The optical waveguide members may include tabs for termination to other optical components. In some instances, it may be desirable to terminate a plurality of vertically aligned tabs. Interconnections between planar optical circuit members and other components have proven to be relatively complex and time-consuming. The waveguides of the planar optical circuit members must be precisely aligned with optical elements of mating components in order to create and optically efficient connection. A simple and cost-effective manner of interconnecting waveguides of a planar optical circuit member to optical elements of a mating component would be useful.
The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.